We on Award Tour: 2006 Hip-Hop Honors

In a story I broke yesterday, VH1’s Hip-Hop Honors were last night and for three straight years it failed to disappointed putting the yearly event right up there with the Grammy’s and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Oddly enough for a show that celebrates hip-hop, the show started off with a bunch of people. But the Law and Order skit was hilarious with Ice-T’s cast members from SVU talking about there favorite honorees and T showing up late to ceremony only to be replaced by Mike B. Keep in mind Mike B could just be your next president. (See the end of the post for the video of the skit) As for the show, VH1 were really smart making ?uestlove of The Roots the musical director and should bring him in every year. Here are some thoughts on this year’s honorees and performances:

- The Beastie Boys kick thing off and surprisingly Tracy Morgan was actually funny intriguing them. Q-Tip, the recently bullet-ridden Fabolous, and Diddy come up in full B-Boy get up and spit probably the most recognizable Beastie verse with the start of Paul Revere but not surprisingly they cut off the song before they got to the part about the whiffle ball bat. Then the Beastie themselves came out to a rousing version of So Whatchcha Want, even switching the beat to the one from Fabolous’ Breathe.

- Now I’ve long held onto the belief that chicks shouldn’t rap, but I have to admit if I were to make a mix tape that represents 1996 for me MC Lyte’s Cold Rock a Party would be on it because no party during that summer didn’t feel right if it didn’t feature that song.

- Whenever you see a list of the greatest MC’s you will most likely see Biggie or 2-Pac, but whenever you see a list that is complied by rappers themselves, it would be Rakim that would be on top. Naturally one of the best lyricists of today, Common came out to introduce him. The tribute featuring Black Thought and Talib Kweli. Really there is no better way to start off a house party that something that features the bassline from Paid in Full. And hopefully the long delayed Rakim album comes out soon because the new track was tight especially with the Roots backing him. The horns were off the hook.

- When I first got into N.W.A. it was around the album that I can’t reprint here because my censors won’t allow it. But this was right after Ice Cube left the group and like many rap feuds back then you had to pick your side, do for years I refused to listen to Cube until he did that song with Dr. Dre. The dude from Pimp My Ride did a good job at Check Yo Self. Who knew he would rap?

- Russell Simmons gets the only non- music induction this year deservedly. Hip-Hop doesn’t reach the masses if it weren’t for Def Jam. But where was the love for his running mate at the label Rick Rubin? Nice mix of songs played during his tribute.

- With Eazy-E and Ice Cube being honored kind of makes you wonder why not honor N.W.A. as a whole? No surprise my favorite Eazy-E song, Gimmie Dat Nutt doesn’t make the tribute. Oh well. But my homies from just a couple miles north of me, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony crawled out of obscurity to perform their tribute song The Crossroads.

- I never got into the theatrics of Afrika Bambaataa but it’s nice to see him get his due and it seemed natural that Outkast introduced his tribute with George Clinton and Bootsy Collins participating. Odd that was the only honoree in the history of the show that didn’t perform.

- If there is one thing that I have learned in my life is that Wu-Tang Clan is nothing to (expletive deleted) with. Nice to see the Clan reunite on stage with all the members showing up (sans Ol’ Dirty Bastard, R.I.P.). I remember seeing the troupe perform back in 1998 when they toured with Rage Against the Machine. Granted they were a half an hour late to the venue. And when they arrived the spent time playing basketball backstage before actually coming out minus three members. And when they did they only gave a twenty minute set because they had to get off stage so Rage could do their set before curfew. So it was great to see them perform C.R.E.A.M. and Triumph with Method Man actually jumping into the crowd to spit his verse.

Looking forward to next year, here are my suggestions to honor next year: A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, EPMD, N.W.A., Leaders of the New School, and Slick Rick (feel free to share who you think should be honored and be sure to scroll down to check out my lyrics quiz to see if you can answer any that are left). You can watch performances from the show at VSPOT and I'm sure VH1 will repeat throught the next couple weeks.

I’m Still Texican to the Bone

Two summers ago, the Los Lonely Boys invaded the radio with the extremely catchy Heaven. The south of the border rock with harmonies was a refreshing diversion from all the rap and overproduced pop that still litters the radio landscape today and even won the Boys a Grammy that year. But the song, as catch as it was, did have the trappings of a one hit wonder though the band is back trying to avoid that dreaded label.

The new album Sacred starts right where they left off with their mix of their Texas upbringing and Mexican heritage all brought together with a pop appeal. The album’s first song, My Way, has almost a cabaret sound. Roses on the other hand has a disco feel it as if Chic had grown up in Texas. Later on the album, Texican Style has a sixties vibe to it. All these different blend nicely with the already established TexMex sound the band has cultivated. But the problem with the album though, is they don’t stray to far from the style making it repetitive at times.

Songs like Diamonds sound as if they sat down and tried to create another Heaven. It also sounds like their cameo on Santana’s last album rubbed off because before looking at the musicians on the album, I though a few of the tracks featured the legendary guitarist. The imitations don’t start there as the first time I heard the opening riff to the closing track, Living My Life, I though they were redoing Stone Temple Pilots Creep. The Boys do branch out a little lyrically with the quasi-political One More Day stating, “Even the blind man sees what’s wrong with the world today” then stresses that that all we need is one more day to make a change.

The standout track Outlaws features two of the Boys biggest influences, Willie Nelson and the guy who taught the Boys everything they know, their own father Enrique Garza Sr. The two add their own verse reminiscing on old Texas when the outlaws could also be the heroes. The two mentors light a spark under their protégés as there is an intensity that is sometimes missing on other tracks. Maybe on the next outing, they should make the trio into a five piece.

Song to Download - Outlaws

Sacred gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.